The two articles
above set me thinking, not for
the first time, about history
and whose history it is that
WE refer to.

"The world must
not forget Belsen". As a
European, Belsen and the
context in which it occurred
is an essential part of MY
history. But if I were not a
European, if I were not so
closely related to the victims
and the perpetrators of Nazi
crimes, if I were African,
Asian or an Australian
aborigine, for example, why
should I take a particular
interest in European
history? World history and
European history are not
synonymous, although the way
many people talk, you'd think
they were. Africans were not
responsible for Nazi crimes,
neither were they responsible
for putting a man on the Moon.
Europeans were, on both
counts.

Because of the close
ethnic, cultural and
historical ties, Nazi crimes should be
as relevant to Americans,
Australians, New Zealanders
and South Africans of European
decent as they are to indigenous
Europeans , but they
can hardly have the same
relevance for native
Americans, Australians, New
Zealanders or South Africans. Far more relevant
to them will be the crimes
committed my Europeans (more
Englishmen than
Germans) against their own
peoples.

The truth of the
matter is that different
people's have different
histories. The history of
white America (and Americans)
is not the same as that of
Black America (and Americans).
The nation state (i.e. the
American government) requires all citizens to identify with
it, but what is a nation
without its history? When
objecting to being drafted to
fight in the Vietnam war a
Black American famously said:
"Why should I? No Vietnamese
ever called me a Nigger!"
(or words to that effect). So
why did, and do, so many Black
Americans serve an essentially
white American government?

What relevance does
British and European history
have for Europe's non-European
immigrants? Surely some, since
European history affects
everyone, the more so if
Europe is where they live and
were perhaps born, but their
perspective will be very
different to that of a native
European; added to which the
history of their own ancestors
will almost certainly be more
important to them, because it
is with these they will most
closely identify.

Identity - including
and most importantly, ethnic
and racial identity (it's
about our ancestors, for
heaven sake!) - lies at
the heart of human existence.
Because it played a central role in
Nazi philosophy (placing the
German "master race"
above all others), its importance is now
greatly played down, or denied
altogether, because it shames
and scares us. But in
consequence, and because
nation state politics demands it, we
are living a lie.

It's awkward, I know,
but we need to face
up to it, not least because
feelings of racial and ethnic
identity among Europeans are
generally condemned as a form
of
"racism" and
suppressed. This is dangerous
and likely to lead to the very
problems we want to avoid
(just as suppressing human
sexuality, rather than facing
up to it and dealing with it
responsibly, can also have
terrible consequences).